Digestion process and Body composition of Humans

We all say food plays an important part in our body. But do you know how much your body contains which nutrient and how the digestive system works? 

Let me explain it to you in a simple way. 

As we all know our body is made up of different things and we eat food as there are nutrients in food that are required by the body. 

The body is structurally made up of organs, tissues, and cells. These in turn are made up of different elements held together in varying combinations. 

The process of food that supplies nutrients to the body in the digestion process. Foods when consumed, then release nutrients from foods for giving energy to the body. Along with that, there are plenty of functions that are played by nutrients. 

The nutrients are obtained from food by the process of metabolism that takes place in three steps: Digestion, Absorption, and Assimilation. 

Basically, digestion is also known as metabolism, in which the breakdown of the foods (Anabolism) and absorption of nutrients takes place (Catabolism).

There are 8 organs of the digestive system which look after your food. 

1. Mouth- The chewing of the food and mixing them with saliva is taken place in the mouth.

2. Oesophagus- The passing of food from the mouth to the stomach. This is the passing passage of the food. 

3. Stomach- The mixing part of food with various secretion such as pepsin, hydrochloric acid (HCL), renin. The food is mixing with them. 

4. Small intestine- Small intestine is made up of 3 parts: Duodenum, Jejunum, and Ileum. Duodenum is a U-shaped loop of the small intestine that receives pancreatic and bile juices where the Jejunum and Ileum complete the digestion process and absorb the digested product through the villi. 

5. Pancreas- It is a diffused gland in the loop of the duodenum. It secretes digestive enzymes and also insulin which is the hormone responsible for carbohydrate metabolism. 

6. Liver- One of the largest glands in the body as well as an important one, secretes bile which is stored in the gall bladder. The liver also stores sugar in the form of glycogen, the fat-soluble vitamins. 

7. Gall bladder- It is the storage gland for bile secretes by the liver. 

8. Large intestine- It contains 2 parts colon and rectum. The reabsorption of water and certain B vitamin takes place in the large intestine. The waste products pass down into the colon and are stored in the rectum till they pass out as stools from the anus. 

This is the digestive process and the organs involved in it. 

After all, this process is done then what amount of which nutrient is present in the body. 

The chemical component in the body is 65% oxygen, 18% carbon, 10% hydrogen and 3% nitrogen. Together they represent about 96% of the body weight and account for the principal constituents of the body, namely water, protein, fats, and a small amount of glycogen. 

The remaining 4% of the bodyweight is made up of mineral elements, of which calcium and phosphorus account for three-fourth. 

Water is present in all body tissues and accounts for 55-75% of body weight. The water content varies inversely with the amount of fat in the infant bodies which have a low-fat content and high water content. Lean adults have a higher body water content than obese adults. 

About three-fourth of the body water is in the intracellular compartment which presents within the cells and one-fourth is in the extracellular compartment, which included the blood circulation, the lymph, and the interstitial fluids that bathe all cells. Tissues vary considerably in their water content, with bones, teeth, and adipose tissues.

Protein accounts for about 18% of human body weight. The normal fat content is 7-15% for men and 12-25% for women. 

Body fat content in excess of 20# for men and 30% for women is generally regarded as obesity. A gradual increase in body fat content occurs in both sexes with aging. 

About 30g carbohydrate in the form of glycogen is present in the body, with very small additional amounts involves in the structure of various tissues. 

Many of the important body constituents such as vitamins, hormones, and enzymes are present in such small amounts then they have no significant effect on the total body weight. 

Men have 17% and women have 8.5% of the protein in their body weight. 

Women have 22% and men have 13.5% of fat in the body weight. 

Both men and women contain 1.5% of carbohydrates in their body weight. 

The total water present in the bodyweight are 62% in men and women. 

The minerals are present in both men's and women's body weight are 6%. 

These are the total 100% breakdown of nutrients in the body weight. 

The main constituent elements of almost all organic compounds are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. they may be found in varying amounts but occur in the body especially in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Nitrogen is an essential constituent of proteins. Some proteins also contain sulfur, phosphorus, and iron. These four elements, such as hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, make up 96% of the body weight. 

They are supplied to the body by carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water present in the foods that we eat, water and beverages that we drink, and oxygen that we breathe. 

The constitution of each living being I governed by its genetic makeup, although the basic building material that is food is the same.

The basic molecules of the food consumed by all living beings are identical. 

This is all you should about your body composition and digestive process at a basic level. The digestive process is a very vast topic and there are many other factors in the system. There is just a point in view overall of the digestive system. 

Stay healthy and stay safe.